Tee ball and {sketchy thursdays}

I love this page! Just love it! Ever have those pages that you just love as you are making them—getting excited with each added piece knowing that it is just going to be fabulous?! Well, that is this page for me.

The pictures are a compilation of Nate's entire tee-ball season. They had some practices before they had uniforms and a few rain outs, but of the games that were sunny, I managed to snag a few really good pictures.


These pictures show Nate's intensity and just how serious he is about playing ball. He really did hustle for every play, hit the ball with everything he had, and cheered on teammates with gusto. I am so proud!

I used the current sketch challenge at Sketchy Thursdays. We have a double-page sketch for you, but as we always say, take what you can from it. If you make a single page, just let us know what part of the sketch you used when you write your blog post and share it on the Mr. Linky.


This is also one of the pages I was talking about earlier this week for Scrapbook Circle. I added in the baseball stickers and journal spots, but all the rest of the page is from the July kit.

Thanks for stopping in today. I know we're all getting into the swing of summer, so I really appreciate you taking the time to visit here. Hope to see you playing along at Sketchy Thursdays. This week is sponsored by Inspired to Scrap with a FABULOUS prize!!

Stop back tomorrow—I'll announce my i-top winner! :)

Hat collection {my favorite things}

Nate has a hat collection. And a pretty good one at that. He proclaimed one day after buying a Yankees cap that he would like to collect hats. After that, he got a hat rack from the Easter Bunny and the rest is history.


The ladies over at These Are a Few of My Favorite Things want to see your collection pages. And, sadly, this is the last challenge over there. Julie has decided to stop running the challenges—and though I am sad to see the site go, I completely understand. So join us! We want to go out with a bang! Help us get the most players ever for the last challenge.

Everyone collects something, right?! Show us your pages!! You could win a $25 gift card to Scrapbook.com!


And, as I talked about yesterday, this page is made with the Scrapbook Circle July kit. It's a great one full of fabulous bold colors, stickers and lots of those fun little extras that make getting kits in the mail so much fun.

Meet me back here a little later today as I reveal the page for Sketchy Thursdays. There's a fabulous prize (of course) and "double" the inspiration.

Thanks for stopping in! :)

Best boy kit ever {scrapbook circle}

Most of you know I am a huge Scrapbook Circle fan. I love, love, love the kits, the people and the creativity on the website.

The July kit is my favorite so far this year. I love the girly kits, and can always make them work for pages about Nate, but this kit screamed BOY to me the minute I saw it.


I made a double-page layout and a single within hours of opening it—with plenty of stuff left to make a few more.

Here is a sneak peek at one of the pages I was talking about. And I know you are out there—the girly moms that are drawn to the shabby chic papers and embellies and then realize that the boy stuff is hard to come by. Or even worse, like me, your boy pages start with pink, orange and yellow backgrounds. But we make it work. :)


And don't think there isn't a girly side to this kit—there is. I was just so happy to see astronauts and stars paired with blues and reds.

The July kit from Scrapbook Circle will be available shortly if it isn't already. Stop by again on Thursday when I share the pages I've made so far with this kit.

Thanks for visiting!! :)

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Don't forget about the Imaginisce i-top I am giving away. Remember to comment HERE ON THIS POST before Wednesday evening.

Nothin' says summer like cherries

I'm sharing my love for the Papertrey Ink set Fruit Fusion: Cherries again. I think that I love using the die the most. I seem to cut the cherries from fabric or felt more often than I stamp them with ink.



I was inspired to make this card for the Kraft Journal's Welcome Summer Challenge. And when evaluating my stash, nothin' says summer like cherries!

Thanks for stopping by today—I really appreciate you visiting to see my work!

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Don't forget about the Imaginisce i-top I am giving away. Remember to comment HERE ON THIS POST before Wednesday evening.

Baby onesie card

Papertrey Ink now has a large die shaped like a onesie. And since I love to make new arrival cards, I had to have it. I have to say that I really love how easy it is to use. I was even able to cut the fabric I used at the top of the card with the die. Some dies don't take too well with fabric, but this one worked great.


For this card, I used the Tuesday Trigger inspiration at Moxie Fab World. I was inspired by the dotted pattern, the use of fabric and the ribbon tags on the edge. I even stitched the ribbons onto my card, but after I put the buttons on, so I'm not sure you can see the stitching in the picture.


Maybe if you have some time today or tomorrow you can play along! The Tuesday Trigger is always good for a jumping off point!

Have a fabulous weekend! And so glad you stopped by!

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Don't forget about the Imaginisce i-top I am giving away. Remember to comment HERE ON THIS POST before Wednesday evening.

Imaginisce {giveaway}

Hello everyone! I posted yesterday about my love for the Imaginisce i-top and shared with you how I used paper and the punches that are created to go with the i-top system to make brads for a layout.

Today I'm sharing what I made using the accessories for the i-top and fabric. I used the medium size snap daddies and bobby pins to make fabric-covered hair accessories.

Here is what I learned and can pass on to you, should you choose to use fabric with your i-top. I had the little templates for tracing, but as it turned out, it was more difficult to get good coverage if I used it. I ended up just making solid circles, as you can see in the above picture. And the extra material seemed to work just fine with the actual tool as I snapped together all of the pieces.


And here are the finished hair pins! And they snap off, so if you wanted to, you could use one pin and change out the decoration at the end as you wished. So versatile! Of course, you know I'm going to be playing around with the i-top for a long time.

To celebrate my new love for the i-top, I am giving away an i-top here on my blog!

Here's what you can do to gain entries to the giveaway:
1. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know you did.
2. Leave a comment letting me know you stopped by and saw my project.
3. Post this on Twitter and leave a comment that you did that.
4. Post this on Facebook and leave a comment here.

Sketchy Thursdays is also giving away an i-top (and accessories) to one winner this week. Leave me a comment here that you posted your entry to the Mr. Linky at the Sketchy Thursdays site and that will also earn you another chance—just for playing along over there.

So there you have it! My big i-top secret. :) A big thanks to Imaginisce for sponsoring over at Sketchy Thursdays. I'm so excited to be able to demonstrate what this fabulous tool can do for crafters—it has so much potential!

You have until Wed night, June 29 to comment for your chance to win—have a great weekend!! And if you already have an i-top, I would love to see the links to your projects so I can visit your blog. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Imaginisce and Sketchy Thursdays

I have been so excited to let you all in on this little secret we've been keeping. Sketchy Thursdays is sponsored this week by the wonderfully innovative manufacturer IMAGINISCE! I'm a big fan of the i-top, and that is also what Imaginisce is giving away this week at Sketchy Thursdays.


Now, I know I have your attention, right? Just play along with one little, itsy bitsy sketch and you will be entered into the random drawing for an Imaginisce i-top tool and a sampling of accessories.


I played around with my i-top (as well as used some Imaginisce papers) on this page. You can see where I made 2 of the medium sized brads using paper, and I used one of the small twist-ons, too, just because I wanted to use the other side of the tool (the small side).

I do love how easy this tool is to use when you have the punches to help with cutting your papers. And, I'm officially hooked on this tool. Some of my close friends know that I have a brad obsession. I love using them on my custom flowers for my Etsy shop, so the i-top is a no brainer for me. Have to have it. :)


So there you have it! Play along with us at Sketchy Thursdays for your chance to win your very own i-top! And stop back here tomorrow when I share with you how you can use your i-top with fabric and how nifty some of the Imaginisce accessories are (did you know you can make headbands, barrettes and magnets?!).

Psssttt: I may also have more Imaginisce prizes for you tomorrow, too! :) Just a hint to stop back by!!

And, if you've been wondering how to pronounce the name, here's a hint: IMAGINE + REMINISCE = IMAGINISCE!

First ball game

Some of you know that Nate's 5th birthday party was also his first time at a baseball game. It was so fun! We have a minor league team here in Rochester—the Red Wings. They are pretty good, but they did lose this particular game. Not that we really noticed, we were all about the experience for Nate.


I love the grainy boy feel to this page. And I finally tried out the Tinted Tapes I got from Vintage Street Market. Oh my, I am in love! In the picture above you can see the Numbers tape really well. It is clear with black lettering and goes on perfectly.


In this photo here, you can see the Linen tape, which I nearly covered my whole layout with. It is also placed at the edges of the photos, too. I think you can see it if you click to enlarge the main photo of the layout.

If you haven't stopped to sneak a peek at Vintage Street Market, I highly recommend it. And join their Facebook page for great giveaways and fabulous conversation.

The Sampler {sketch challenge}

On the 20th of every month, Holly and The Sampler put together a sketch challenge. There are prizes and it's quite fun to hop through the DT's pages and see what they made with that month's kit.

So here we are, hopping along and sketchin' it up for The Sampler. I do hope you'll play along!


I made this page using silly pictures of my son at the park this spring. He's such a ham. So much so, that it's getting more difficult to get a nice, simple picture of him. But I'll take these! So much personality, and it just shines in pictures like this.


I did make the rosettes on this page using the buttons in the kit as well as scraps of paper left from the kit. One nifty little trick on this—see the doodles on that background paper? I mimicked that by drawing similar white swirls on the buttons of the rosettes.

Thanks for stopping to see my page today. Hope you all had a fab weekend. And don't forget to stop and see the sketch as well as link up your entry here at Holly's blog!

Felt & hot air balloons

Have I mentioned that I love my Big Shot? I knew when I bought it I wanted to cut materials other than paper, but I had no idea exactly how fun it was going to be. I've had the Big Shot for nearly a year now, and felt is by far my favorite material to play with.


I cut these felt hot air balloons using the Up, Up & Away die set from Papertrey Ink. The sticker is from SRM stickers and the twine from The Twinery.


I am playing along today with the Play Date Cafe. This summer inspired color scheme screams 80's to me—how fun! I was totally drawn to it.

Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend, and thanks for stopping by here today. Really appreciate it! :)

Father's Day inspiration

This Sunday is Father's Day, so I'm sharing some last-minute card inspiration for you. This card is happily in the mail on its way to my Dad.


Did you make a Father's Day card this year? Leave a comment here letting me know, so I can swing by your blog and see what you made.

And thanks for stopping by to see my card. I'm really happy with how this one turned out. As most of us struggle with guy cards, I was very surprised that I was 100% happy with this one once I finished it.

Have a great weekend!

Sketchy Thursdays {fish hatchery}

Hello, everyone! Today I am sharing with you my Sketchy Thursdays page using the new sketch that Heidi has made for us. This week is sponsored by EAD Designs—check out this week's sponsor info, the prize, the sketch and play along with us!

The pictures on this page are from Memorial Day weekend when we has an impromptu visit to the fish hatchery. Nate loves how crazy the fish are when he throws the fish food in.


And I had fun trying to capture that moment on camera where you could see both Nate and the fish. I snagged one great picture where the water appears calm, Nate is leaning over, and the fish's head is above the surface. Perfect!


Thanks for stopping by today to see my page. I hope to see many of you playing along this week at Sketchy Thursdays. And don't forget that you have until Saturday night to play the July GDT Challenge.

For the bride

I absolutely love making wedding cards. Wedding and new arrival cards are my favorites. There is nothing better than new love and new life.

I am also a big fan of this color scheme. The pink is soft, the black is strong and the vintage lace for the dress adds that perfect blend of texture between the two.


I hope you have been inspired to play along with us at Paper Issues. We are sharing wedding-themed cards, pages and projects. It doesn't have to be new, just link up your wedding creativity to the linky party at the blog.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I truly do appreciate it. :)

Using chalkboard stickers

Hello! These Pink Paislee Daily Junque Chalkboard Stickers are included in the June kit from The Sampler. At first, I was going to use them on a layout, but then I realized I had teacher gifts I needed to make cards for. The chalkboard relate was too good to pass up, so I set these aside for those cards.


I was going to use the white pencil that came with the stickers, but my handwriting is awful, so I ended up using some white letter stickers instead (that did not come with the June kit).



Ms. Diana and Ms. Kara got these from Nate last week for their End of the Year party. Rumor has it they liked these and the gift cards. I'm so sad that his Pre-K class is over, but now it's on to Kindergarten! *gulp* I'm going to need the summer to prepare myself for this.

Speaking of, here's a cute picture of the lil man in his graduation gown. His graduation ceremony was on Friday night.


The center did such a great job with the kids and the little show they put on for the parents. I was impressed with how prepared the kids were—it was obviously not just thrown together, they had put some serious work into it.

Thanks for stopping by today, I really appreciate it! Hope your week is going well so far.

Sweet on you!

I had a fabulous crafty weekend. I was able to sit down and create—playing along with as many challenges as I could manage. Or course, I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do, but I am happy that I got done as much as I did.

This card combines a color challenge and a sketch challenge. The sketch can be found at Card Patterns.


And the color challenge is from CR84FN. Here is the color palette and inspiration.


Thanks for stopping by to see my card today. I hope you had some creative time this weekend as well. Leave a comment so I can stop by your blog and see what you made. Have a great start to your week!

Way to go!

Today is a great day. Today my son graduates from Pre-K. I am so excited to see what they've been up to for their ceremony. Nate's been talking about the DVD, the song, how they practice calling their names and going to the front... I am so excited!!!

I made this card for Nate to celebrate his graduation. We are having a dinner beforehand, and we have a little present for him, too. He loves the Olivia books, and has been begging for this little stuffed animal of Olivia dressed as a pirate, so we got that for him, too. Like I said ... SO EXCITED!


I needed some inspiration to get this card going, so I played along at a few places. Here they are:
• Some Odd Girl has a manly challenge (and a DT Call, if you are interested)
• The Paper Variety also wants to see projects for the guys
• I used a card sketch at Card Patterns

My tip for this card ... I used the bike stamp from Hero Arts, and to make it more "guy-friendly" I cut off the basket. SIMPLE! Such an easy way to make your stamps more versatile. Take a look at what you have in your stash already that can be altered instead of purchasing gender-specific materials.

Thanks so much for checking in with my blog today. Like I said ... It's gonna be a great day! Have a fabulous weekend!!

Sketchy Thursdays {summer fun}

Here's my Sketchy Thursdays page for the week. Make sure to swing by the challenge site to see the sketch that's ready for you to play along with.

I used the June kit from The Sampler to make this page. I like that purple ribbon from the kit, and it seemed to go really well with the summer feel I was aiming for.


These pictures are from Memorial Day. We had met some of the cousins at a spray park for a little picnic. Nate decided to eat all of the watermelon I brought for us, and each time I asked for a bite he'd look the other way and pretend he couldn't hear me. He was making the cutest faces and was laughing so hard he could barely chew. I wanted to make sure to capture that. Adorable!


This week at Sketchy Thursdays we are giving away a great prize from ScrapBits. Such a cute shop! You really should check out the shop and the details on how to win.

Thanks for stopping by today! I just love Thursdays, don't you?! :)